Dental Implants and Oral Diseases

Losing one or more teeth is often the severe result of untreated oral diseases, like periodontitis, but it doesn’t mean the disease has run its course. Even if you replace your lost teeth, the oral disease that claimed them can still be a menace to your oral and overall health. As a skilled periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania has extensive experience dealing with complex oral diseases, as well as replacing lost teeth with innovative dental implants. As she warns, dental implant placement is only successful when your mouth is free of oral diseases, and maintaining your new smile relies on preventing an oral disease from returning.

The Support of Dental Implants

Your tooth is divided into an upper and lower region. The upper part, called the crown, rests above your gum line, and is responsible for biting and chewing your food, as well as filling out your smile and enunciating your words. The lower part of your tooth, called the root, extends below your gum line and into the jawbone. A dental implant is a small, titanium, root-like device that’s surgically inserted into the jawbone, and is the only dental prosthesis that can replace a lost tooth’s root. Restoring this support system helps your dental crown, bridge, or denture look, feel, and perform like healthy natural teeth. Also like your natural teeth, dental implants and their restorations require regular care and maintenance, or you may lose them, as well.

How Oral Diseases Affect Your Implants

Oral diseases, or dental diseases, come in different forms and affect your mouth in different ways. Nevertheless, the most common and destructive issues begin in much the same way—with the buildup of oral bacteria (by way of dental plaque). If you don’t brush and floss often enough, or neglect to attend regular dental checkups and cleanings, then bacteria can overwhelm your teeth and gums, leading to the onset of tooth decay, gum disease, and chronic bad breath, to name just a few. Titanium implants and their manmade restorations (i.e., crowns, bridges, and dentures) aren’t susceptible to cavities, which attack a tooth’s natural structure. However, the gum tissue and jawbone surrounding the implant can still develop periodontal disease, which destroys the foundation supporting your natural and replacement teeth.

ABOUT YOUR ENCINITAS PERIODONTIST:

To learn how to keep your gums, teeth, and dental implants healthy and beautiful so you can enjoy the many benefits your smile offers, subscribe to this blog, and visit Dr. Kania for a consultation. As a board-certified periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania is specially qualified to diagnose and treat issues concerning periodontal tissue and the supportive structures of a patient’s smile, as well as place dental implants to restore teeth lost to dental disease or trauma. To seek Dr. Kania’s expertise, visit our office or contact us today at (760) 642-0711.